How Assisted Living Can Help Improve Your Senior Loved One's Quality Of Life
Everyone values the quality of life that they live regardless of their age. We all want the best experiences at all stages of our lives; however, how we maintain that quality changes with advancing age. Older adults in society have a unique set of needs that require specialized attention.
As our aging loved ones grow older, they need more assistance performing their daily chores and other physical activities requiring fitness and strength. Accessing this form of support at home might be challenging and inconvenience other family members. This is where assisted living communities like Newport mesa senior living homes come in to offer custom-made creative solutions for the elderly.
Assisted living facilities provide the best environment to improve your senior loved ones' quality of living. Older adults living in these facilities get help with everyday tasks such as bathing, getting dressed, toileting, taking medications, and preparing meals. It is estimated that 11% of seniors over 75 need daily assistance with their daily tasks.
Read on to find out what assisted living does to improve the quality of life for seniors.
Support For Daily Tasks
Daily chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, bathing, dressing, and toileting can burden aging seniors. Family members often have to assist them in paying bills, shopping for groceries, and providing emotional support, which can be overwhelming. Staff alleviate the burden when your loved one is in an assisted living community. They help seniors with all the basic chores, including providing transport to and from appointments.
Reduced Anxiety
Some seniors live alone or are left on their own when other family members go to work. In such a scenario, they can be very isolated. This isolation brings about a lot of anxiety and fear of the unknown. Simple things like what would happen if they fell or how they would make it to the next doctor's appointment can get them worked up. With assisted living, they don't have to worry about that as there is round-the-clock care.
Managing Medication
Staff members at assisted living facilities ensure that your elderly loved one takes medication at the right time and follows the doctor's prescribed dosage. Monitoring of medication at home is often not possible. Failure to take the prescribed medicine correctly can lead to serious health consequences for your elderly loved ones. The caregivers at assisted living facilities are keen on managing medications, especially for those with conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
Healthy And Delicious Meals
Cooking can be gruelling for the elderly, who might have special nutritional needs that they can't meet without assistance. Assisted living offers an easy solution to the changing nutritional needs of the elderly. The professional staff at these facilities prepare nutritious meals that help to boost the immune system of your senior loved ones. They also cater to special dietary needs, such as low-sodium food and diabetes-friendly diets.
Community
Assisted living allows seniors to create new connections beyond their close friends and family. When seniors live together, they enjoy many shared activities, programs, and opportunities. This helps to alleviate loneliness which can lead to isolation, depression, and poor health. Older adults need the joyful and energetic atmosphere of interacting with others as it makes them happy and positively impacts their health.
Decreased Dependence On Family
When the elderly live with family, they feel that they are too dependent on them for support, which can be frustrating. Assisted living facilities offer support to the daily activities of the elderly, thus relieving dependence on their loved ones. According to the United States of Aging survey, it helps seniors maintain a sense of independence as it is something they fear losing more than death. Assisted living gives older adults a sense of dignity with the freedom to choose the activities to participate in and the ability to host friends and family.
Providing Healthcare Services
Old age often comes with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer's, dementia, and more. Assisted living facilities will offer your senior loved one the care and support to manage them, such as therapy, exercise, and mentally stimulating activities for their unique needs. Besides providing specialized care, they will also ensure your loved ones get to the doctor's office on time for appointments.
Safety And Security
As your elderly loved one becomes frailer, the chances of accidents such as falls increase. These might cause severe consequences to them, from minor injuries to fatalities. Assisted living facilities have senior-friendly safety measures such as safety handles and rails in staircases and bathrooms, panic buttons, surveillance cameras, and 24/7 supervision.
Conclusion
Assisted living is a cost-friendly way of ensuring that your senior loved one gets the support and assistance they need in their advanced age. It allows them to have an active lifestyle and learn new things when they mingle with others in the community. The vibrant community atmosphere in the facilities helps to alleviate loneliness; thus, they won't feel isolated or depressed. When you know that the needs of your loved one are being adequately catered to, you will have peace of mind.
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